How does Payroll Basic work?

Payroll Basic makes it easy to pay employees yourself within QuickBooks and work with your accountant on tax forms.^[2]

Run payroll in just a few clicks. Each payday, simply enter employees' hours, and Payroll Basic instantly calculates paychecks. You can easily print paychecks yourself, or use the convenient Intuit QuickBooks Direct Deposit solution (additional fees apply). Intuit Payroll's team of compliance professionals works with tax authorities to help keep your payroll tax rates accurate and up-to-date.

Payroll Basic does not include any tax forms. However, we make it easy to share data with your tax preparer, so you can work together on forms and filings. If you need help, get your questions answered by our dedicated payroll specialists. Phone support is available weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.^[3]

Why is integration with QuickBooks important?

Since Payroll Basic works within QuickBooks accounting software, your data is already integrated, so you never have to export data or enter it in more than one place. Combined with QuickBooks, Payroll Basic offers an easy, all-in-one solution for managing both your business finances and your payroll.

Can I switch to Payroll Basic in the middle of the year?

Yes, you can start using Payroll Basic anytime.

If you do start up midyear and have already paid employees, you will have to enter your prior payroll data when you start using Payroll Basic so that your calculations are correct throughout the rest of the year. Our step-by step guide takes you through the process of entering your prior payroll data. If you're just starting to pay employees, you don't have to worry about any prior payroll data.

What if I need support?

If you need help, get your questions answered by our dedicated payroll specialists. Phone support is available weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.^[3] Additionally, you'll have 24/7 access to our online payroll knowledge base, where you'll find helpful tips and answers to even your most specific questions.^[4]

How do I get started? How long does it take?

Subscribing to Payroll Basic unlocks the payroll features that are already in your QuickBooks software. Once you've signed up, Payroll Basic helps you get started quickly with a step-by-step guide for setting up your payroll. You'll enter your employees' wages or salaries, your company's and employees' payroll tax information, and your prior payroll data if needed.

The time it takes you to set up will depend on the number of employees you have and what benefits you offer. Our setup is designed to be quick and easy so you can start running payroll as soon as possible.

How do I pay my employees?

All you need to do is simply enter employees' hours, and Payroll Basic will generate paychecks. It instantly calculates earnings, payroll taxes, and deductions for you. You can easily pay your employees three different ways: print checks yourself, hand-write them, or use convenient Direct Deposit (additional fees apply).

With Payroll Basic, you're in control of when you pay employees. You can set up each individual employee to be paid on whatever pay frequency you wish.

Does Payroll Basic handle both hourly and salaried employees? What about bonuses, commissions, or overtime?

Yes, Payroll Basic can handle both employees you pay on an hourly basis, as well as those you pay a salary. Payroll Basic also handles bonuses, commissions, and other wage types.

Payroll Basic handles overtime with ease. You can set it up to do time-and-a-half, double-time, or any custom overtime pay you'd like.

Is there a limit to how many employees I can pay using Payroll Basic?

Yes. Payroll Basic supports QuickBooks company files with up to 350 employees. Performance may slow significantly when processing files containing more than 100 employees, depending on your computer's processor speed. Upgrading your hardware or using QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions will improve performance. You can add or delete employees from Payroll Basic at any time, with no fees.

Can I pay employees using Direct Deposit?

Yes. Use our convenient Direct Deposit (additional fees apply) feature to have employees' pay transferred straight to their bank accounts — no checks to sign, no trip to the bank required. You don't even have to be in the office on payday anymore, because you can schedule deposits up to 45 days in advance.

After you have prepared your payroll, you simply send the data to us from within QuickBooks. Send it to us by 5:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time at least two business banking days before the paycheck date.

You can set up or remove an employee from Direct Deposit anytime you want. Not all employees have to be on Direct Deposit, either. You can specify that checks be direct deposited into up to two accounts per employee.

Plus, you can use Direct Deposit for expense reimbursements and bonus checks.

How does Payroll Basic help me pay my payroll taxes?

Payroll Basic instantly calculates your federal and state payroll taxes and helps keep track of how much you owe. When it's time to pay your payroll taxes, you can print or hand-write a check to send to the appropriate agency.

Does Payroll Basic track local taxes?

Payroll Basic supports only a very limited set of local tax rates. For local taxes not supported, you can set up your payroll to handle these taxes, but you will be responsible for entering the tax rates manually.

What benefits and deductions does Payroll Basic handle?

With Payroll Basic, you can easily track employees' vacation time, sick time, and paid time off. Payroll Basic also handles many deductions like medical and dental insurance, 401(k) and other retirement plans, cash advances, and more. Plus, not all employees have to be set up with the same deductions. You can set up each employee's deductions differently.

Why are there two different prices for Payroll Basic?

Payroll Basic's price is based on how many employees you need to pay. With a three-employee subscription, you can pay up to three-employees in any given calendar month. You can run payroll for these three employees as frequently as you'd like — but you can't pay any more than three people.

If you have more than three employees, a lot of seasonal employees, or high turnover, our unlimited employee subscription is right for you.